The character of Getrude is a product of a society that thrives on degrading women and treating them as second class citizens. Getrude represents women who are desperate. These women are driven by desperation to devise ways of survival within a system characterised by toxic masculinity and patriarchy.
For many a woman, marriage is a far fetched dream. The societal expectations regarding a woman who qualifies to be in a marriage are just too high, or perhaps too low to make marriage attractive to women. The cost of getting married involves forfeiting educational endeavours, depriving oneself of personal pleasurable activities such as smoking, drinking and choosing what one wants to wear. The marriage institution represents a hindrance in a woman’s life. It is for this and other reasons that Getrude jettisons the idea of getting married albeit subjecting herself to a life of desperation.
The description of Getrude as a “nice” woman is based on her acceptance of the position the patriarchal society places her. For her to enjoy the company of a man, she has to avoid doing what men dislike which includes not to expect a man to marry her, see her regularly, take her seriously, give her presents or talk to her. In addition, she is not expected to initiate the act of sex but must always wait until a man wants to make love to her.
She is forced to live a life of hypocrisy through evading being detected smoking. Self actualisation cannot be achieved by women within the cultural status quo obtaining in the text because of the constraints dictated by the society. Getrude has embraced the puppet lifestyle in order to secure the continual pleasure provided by men even if she has no control of her sexual life since men are the ones who determine when a woman can have sex. It is for this reason that Getrude ends up having multiple sexual partners and that way, she has some control with regards to who she wants to have sex with but the aspect of when still remains the prerogative of men.
Getrude’s consciousness that she is objectified sexually is inadequate to empower her to shake off the shackles under which she is. She confrontationally tells Freddy that he “just love the way,” she “open for” him. She realises that she is not more than an object meant to quench sexual desires of men. However, she is fully aware of her dilemma. The competition for men is stiff hence she advises Martha not to find anything “wrong with being the hundredth women”.
Any attempt to moralise sex and indeed marriage as an institution is an exercise in futility. Getrude pities Martha who holds idealised perceptions about marriage. At the same time she ridicules her for trying to cling onto a failed model. Although Getrude might be seen as floating above the patriarchal system, the audience can easily spot her as a nonentity as she suffers verbal and physical abuse in the hands of the very same men who claim that she is a "nice bitch.
Dangarembga’s portrayal of Getrude serves to bring out the ugly consequences of patriarchy. Her loss of self esteem and acceptance of a life of servitude as her escapism, contrasts sharply with Martha’s indignation.
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